St. John's University Athletics
Ian Stone Previews St. John's 2015 Season
8/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
WATCH VIDEO PREVIEW ON YOUTUBE
QUEENS, N.Y. - With just a few days remaining before the start of the 2015 campaign on Friday night, St. John's Women's Soccer Head Coach Ian Stone spoke with SJU-TV about the upcoming season.
In the video interview, Coach Stone speaks about a special blend of veteran leadership and new talent that has led the conference's coaches to select the Red Storm as a preseason favorite to finish atop the conference.
On the offensive end of the pitch, the Red Storm will be led by one of its three major BIG EAST preseason award winners, as senior Rachel Daly was named the conference's Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year. The Harrogate, England, native was also a selection to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second straight year and impressed in the Red Storm's two exhibition games, scoring three goals.
The Red Storm will also be looking for a breakout year from sophomore Shea Connors, who is looking to build upon an All-Rookie campaign from last season and stood out in the Red Storm friendly matches. St. John's will also rely on a pair of juniors that saw limited action due to injuries a year ago, Morgan Tinari and Miranda Haraughty. The duo is expected to play a critical role in the Red Storm's offensive attack this season.
Several Red Storm newcomers have also shown promise in the offensive end this preseason. Most notably, Christina Bellero has appeared solid in the early going, while Lucy Whipp's international pedigree has Red Storm supporters excited for her collegiate debut. Samie Scaffidi should also be expected to contribute offensively in her rookie campaign.
In the midfield, the Red Storm will be anchored by a pair of senior captains, Emily Cubbage and Shelby Halász. Last season, Cubbage was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after starting all 20 games and playing an integral role in the Red Storm's suffocating defensive unit. Halász, a product of Milford, Conn., has one of the team's most powerful legs, as evidenced by her goal from just inside midfield in the Red Storm's 1-0 win over Georgetown last October. Also playing a critical role in the midfield will be sophomore Allie Moar, one of the team's strongest players on the ball and a BIG EAST All-Rookie pick last season.
The Red Storm can also expect to see contributions from sophomores Mariela Jacome, who played for Ecuador in this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup, and Maria Gonzalez Bullon, a product of Spain who appeared in seven games as a freshman. St. John's also adds veteran leadership at the position with senior Alana Mitchem, as well as promising young talent in Jazmin Acosta, Claudia Cagnina, and Samantha Masur.
On the defensive end, the Red Storm returns many key components from the squad that registered a league-best 0.65 goals against average in conference play last year. Reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and 2015 BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Georgia Kearney-Perry will lace up her cleats for a fifth season in Queens, looking to lead the Red Storm to new heights. In addition to her awards from the conference, the Tring, England, native was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second Team and was ranked 20th in the national Top 100 by the same publication.
In addition to Kearney-Perry, Diamond Thomas, 2014 BIG EAST All-Rookie selection Jesse Schaefer and Mikhaila Martinov return to the pitch after playing integral roles in last year's defensive unit, while a slew of newcomers has shown great talent. After sitting out last season due to transfer rules, Alexis Urbanski is ready to take the field and has shown plenty of promise in the early going. The freshman class is also incredibly deep at this position featuring the likes of Icelandic National Team player Anna Maria Baldursdottir, Senna Brennan, Mecara Bruce and Alexa Dolgos.
The Red Storm also packs plenty of depth at the goaltender position, highlighted by reigning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and 2015 BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Diana Poulin. Poulin, who registered nine clean sheets a year ago, has proven herself to be one of the nation's elite shot stoppers and has improved other areas of her game to become a more well-rounded keeper. Graduate transfer Katie DeVault brings a wealth of experience to the Red Storm this fall, coming to Queens after three seasons at Fresno State. During her time with the Bulldogs, DeVault was an All-Mountain West First Team selection and recorded 15 career shutouts. Both entering their third season with the program, Sarah Chaides and Kelly Crevani are both expected to add depth at the position.
The Red Storm will kick off the 2015 season on Friday night, heading to Stony Brook for a 7 p.m. match with the Seawolves.
